The invention relates generally to plastic signholders and more particularly to an improved two-piece molded plastic signholder and bracket which provides a top bearing surface between the two pieces to clamp signs therebetween.
Any number of types of signholders have been utilized in the past to provide a frame to support display cards, sheets or signs. One popular general type of signholder includes a metal bracket into which the sign can be inserted and which provides a metal support frame around the periphery of the sign. Such signholders are designed to be mounted onto a pedestal, hung from a bracket or mounted to a convenient surface.
Interest has been developed in plastic type signholders which can be mounted along one edge in a metal retaining bracket. The plastic signholders have been developed in one or two pieces with the plastic material providing the support for the sign, poster or card.
The prior art plastic type signholders, as will be further described with respect to FIG. 1, generally have failed to provide an adequate performance for several reasons. The plastic type signholders generally have been glued into the metal retaining brackets and the bond between the signholder and the retaining bracket frequently has failed. Further, the one-piece plastic signholders have been hand folded and the structures of such signholders often have been poor and misaligned. Further, the upper surfaces between the folded or two-piece signholders have often been separated or misaligned such that the signs easily are misaligned or can fall out of the signholders.
It would be desirable to provide a plastic signholder which does not utilize glue for retention in the retaining bracket and which easily can be removed for cleaning or replacement. Further, the signholder should have proper alignment and the upper surfaces should bear against one another to provide a clamping mechanism to firmly hold the sign or card therebetween. The signholder of the parent application Ser. No. 875,721 provided a solution to the problems of the prior art signholders.
The improved plastic signholder of the present invention can provide certain additional advantages not previously obtained. These advantages derive from an improved configuration of the lower margin of the planar mating pieces which formed the previous signholder. In the course of molding these pieces, the lower margins thereof were provided with a depending rounded portion or high spot. This high spot created a condition whereby the signholder potentially was susceptible to lateral misalignment or tipping from side blows during handling. Thus, a side blow to the previous signholder could result in a tilted misalignment of the signholder in its metal retaining bracket, causing an unattractive presentation of the sign. The improved signholder configuration results in greater stability and resistance to side blows.